West Ham won’t be travelling thousands of miles or playing in flashy tournaments against big named teams pre-season. Slaven Bilic has told the board he isn’t interested in commercially attractive offers for West Ham to play in Asia or America and has instead requested the squad will stay in Europe to prepare.
West Ham will next week announce a game in Iceland against Premier League rivals Manchester City but that is the most high profile game which will be played pre-season.
Slaven wants to play good opposition which will test the Hammers but isn’t interested in mini tournaments. Claret and Hugh understand opposition in a mini German tour is being finalised but contracts have yet to be signed. West Ham will also set up a training camp in Bad Tatzmannsdorf, Austria as well as playing a number of pre-season friendlies in the vicinity. The state of the art football camp facilities includes a main pitch and an artificial pitch. The players and staff stayed at the luxury Avita Resort hotel just next door last year. Claret and Hugh understands that opposition in a mini German tour is still being finalised but no big names are involved and contracts have yet to be signed.
Due to the IAAF World Athletics Championship in August no pre-season friendlies will be played at the London Stadium this year. A West Ham XI mostly consisting of Academy players will kick-off pre-season with a trip to The Hive to face EFL League Two club Barnet on Saturday 15 July at
A West Ham XI mostly consisting of Academy players will kick-off their pre-season with a trip to The Hive to face EFL League Two club Barnet on Saturday 15 July at 3pm. Next up is a visit to the Weston Homes Community Stadium to tackle the Bees’ League Two rivals Colchester United on Tuesday 18 July at 7.45pm.
Saturday 22 July will see at the Chigwell Construction Stadium, where they will take on National League outfit Dagenham & Redbridge at 3pm. The Hammers will then travel to Slovakia, where they will take on Super Liga sides Spartak Trnava and FC ViOn Zlaté Moravce.
They will also play Billericay at the AGP Arena on Tuesday 8 August at 7.45pm.
The training camp is so good you have to say it twice lol
I hope we see a marked improvement in form for these pre-season friendlies then again with none of them being played at home we may have to cover a few air miles to check for ourselves.
I don’t understand the problem,the best pre-season game ,when I lived in Chelmsford,was away at southend,good ****-up on the front before the game ,then off to TOTS,for a proper knees up,great times !!
Hahaha Tots that brings back some memories, I wonder if it is still there, been about 20 years since I was in Southend.
I know mate,late seventies,early eighties for me,quills on the front,gold mine canvey,epping forest country club,dukes in Chelmsford,happy days !!
Yes all of those were my old haunts, being brought up in Chelmsford and Walthamstow I can add in Charlie Chans and a few of the clubs around Tottenham and Hackney also, happy days indeed 😀
do you remember DJ’S in Chelmsford,32,up by the old pavilion ?